The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-03-03
INDUSTRIAL TOPICS:
a System Of Leasing Land that
Gives Entire Satisfaction
to All Parties,

Gives Entire Satisfaction
to All Parties.
How to Ascertain if Stone Will Afford
aGood Quality Of Quick-Lime.
Co-Operation in FARMING.
In this country, as q rule, farmers
own the land they cultivate. Since
the country was first settled land has
been SO easily secured that almost any
person could obtain tue amount re.
quired for raising crops or keeping
stock. Still the tenant class is rapidly
increasing, and in d near future will
become much more numerous than it
is at present. It is likely that we
shall eventually find the same con-
dition of affairs here IS respects the
ownership, and working of land that
, exists in most Of the countries of the
old world. One class will own large
proportion of the farming and grazing
land, and will rely on the rent derived
from it for living. Another class;
not having sufficient capital to own the
land aud supply it with stock ands i'm
plements, will lease it for longer or
shorter periods, paying therefor cash
rent or i certain proportion of the pro-
fit. 1t is matter of common obser-
Walton that more capital is required to
conduct farming operations success
fully now than was the case q few
years ago. Domestic farming has
generally given place to commercial
farming. Hand tools have been thrown
aside and costly tools employed in
their place. Men engage in farming as
money-,naking business. and not
! with the simple view of earning a liv-
! ing. In the western states, where
grain-production and stock-raising are
: the principal rural industries, only
farms of considerable size are profit
able. Few young men have the means
to purchase fourth or half section
OF land, to erect suitable buildings. to
buy stock. to obtain machinery; and to
conduct farming operations till q crop
can be raised or animals put in con-
diiion to sell. Many who could obtain
the stock and implements could not
purchase the land needed to cultivate.
A just and equitable system of leas-
ing farms would be great benefit to
many persons who have some capital
but not enough to enable them to buy
land and improve it. 1t would enable
them to live in well-settled portions of
the country and to enjoy most of the
comforts and advantages of highly CIV
ilzed life. Their families would be hap
Soiav oNH I'D ALor a. H.
frontier. Such system of leasing farms
would be highly advantageous to many
landowners. Some of them become
possessed of land by purchase, some by
act of settlement in early life, and 9th
ers by Inheritance. Many owners of
farms are too old or too young to man.
age them. Many farms belong to wo-
men, who can not manage them sue
cessfully. A large proportion of all
these classes desire to keep their farm
ing lands. as they are regarded as very
safe If not very remunerative property.
They are more secure than money put
out at interest. ordinary stocks, or town
property. II in the hands of good ten
ants, they give cause for little anxiety.
They could be made sources of pleas
ure as we'll as of profit to their owners
If kept in good condition or gradually
improving, there would be much pleas
ure derived from visiting them.
i 1t is obvious. however, that most of
the systems of leasing farms that pre-
vail in this and foreign countries arc
not satisfactory to the owners or the
tenants. Leasing farms from year to
year generally results in depreciating
! tho C0lro If f,o land
ings, and in making tenants unthrifty.
The tenant who is constantly moving
is never very prosperous. The land
lord who changes tenants very often
may expect to see his farm run down.
No one remains on farm long enough
to take much interest in keeping it in
good condition. The tenants aim will
he to get all he can out of the soil, and
he will be at no pains to restore any,
thing to it. That he ncglccts the fences,
buildings. wells, and trees is by no means
marvellous. The landlord, seeing his
place going to ruins. will be in bad hu-
NOR and in no condition to be on good
terms with his tenant. 1t is likely that
each will make it very uncomfortable
If not Improbable for the other. Each
will look forward with pleasure to the
time when the lease will be terminated.
Observations in most parts of the coun-
try show that the owners of farms are
inclined to make hard terms for their
tenants, that the latter are generally
careless, and that the farms themselves
run down on their hands. Especially
is this the case when farms are leased
for short periods, as from year to year.
Ion, RI &C. L. 81.
pie of the British islands in a constant
state of trouble. Intense bitterness and
hatred have been engendered in Ireland
on account of the system of leasing farm
property. The troubles originating
there have reached Scotland and Wales
and now threaten England. Legisla-
ton appears to have no good effect,
though parliament has passed several
bills with view of making the rela-
lions between landlord and tenant
more satisfactory. Rents have gener-
ally been lowered, but the tenant CON-
plains as bitterly as before. Landlords
have suffered severely, and many of
them have been ruined. In almost
every part of the United Kingdom the
price of farm ng land has fallen at a
time when other property has advanced.
Tenants complain that under the system
of fixed cash rents every risk, every liza
bility, every hazard, falls upon them.
The landlord. however, is secured in
his income. He does not suffer from
floods. droughts, insects. poor crops,
or low markets. He receives Just as
much rent during season when the
tenant makes nothing as when he is
fairly or remarkably prosperous. For
the landlord there is certainty; for the
tenant there is uncertainty.
A former citizen of Bosnia, now re-
siding in England, states that land
system exists in that county as we'll as
in Herzegovina which is entirely salts
factory to both landlords and tenants.
This is so, Notwithstanding the fact
that the landlords are of different
race and religion from those of the
tenants. The farmers are almost with
out exception Mohammedan Turks,
v,yHs In tk1 1~AA